Potato

vegetables · staple food · underground crops · nightshade family

Underground treasure.. Potatoes grow beneath the soil as tubers, which are thick, bumpy stem parts that store energy for the plant. They're packed with starch, which gives them their hearty, filling taste.

American origins.. Potatoes come from the Andes mountains in South America, where ancient people started growing them thousands of years ago. Today they grow on every continent except Antarctica.

Easy to replant.. Instead of growing from seeds, potatoes grow from smaller potatoes called seed potatoes. You plant a piece of potato in the ground, and it grows into a whole new plant with many potatoes attached.

Wildly versatile food.. Potatoes can be baked, boiled, fried, mashed, roasted, or turned into chips and fries. They're a main ingredient in dishes from French fries to baked potatoes to potato soup around the world.

Nutritious carbs.. Potatoes give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins like vitamin C and minerals like potassium. When you eat the skin, you get even more fiber and nutrients.